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Rating: 
Summary: An Uncommon View of Royalty
Review: Childhood at Court is an entertaining look at the lives of royal children at the British Court from 1819 to 1914, roughly the lifespan of Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII. There have been innumerable biographies of Queen Victoria and her children, but none that have focussed only on their childhoods. This book therefore fills a gap, and does so with an interesting, fresh style which makes use of plenty of anecdotes, some well known, others more obscure. I was interested to come across some of these stories, because I have read many histories and biographies of the period, and many of Van der Kiste's anecdotes were brand new. Both Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII had childhoods best described as dysfunctional, but its interesting to see how the future king seems to have learned from his parents' mistakes and given his own children a happier upbringing. Queen Victoria also seems to have mellowed as she grew older, and its nice to read about the antics her younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren were allowed to get away with, like slapping the Queen's hand and saying "Naughty Grandmamma!!" This is a nice addition to anyone's library of books about royals or books about children.
Rating:
Summary: An Uncommon View of Royalty
Review: Childhood at Court is an entertaining look at the lives of royal children at the British Court from 1819 to 1914, roughly the lifespan of Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII. There have been innumerable biographies of Queen Victoria and her children, but none that have focussed only on their childhoods. This book therefore fills a gap, and does so with an interesting, fresh style which makes use of plenty of anecdotes, some well known, others more obscure. I was interested to come across some of these stories, because I have read many histories and biographies of the period, and many of Van der Kiste's anecdotes were brand new. Both Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII had childhoods best described as dysfunctional, but its interesting to see how the future king seems to have learned from his parents' mistakes and given his own children a happier upbringing. Queen Victoria also seems to have mellowed as she grew older, and its nice to read about the antics her younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren were allowed to get away with, like slapping the Queen's hand and saying "Naughty Grandmamma!!" This is a nice addition to anyone's library of books about royals or books about children.
Rating:
Summary: Luck of Birth
Review: I found this book an enthralling read from start to finish. It transported me through time to the Victorian and Edwardian eras - a fascinating study of the lives of the matriarchal Queen Victoria, her children and grandchildren.
John Van der Kiste paints a vivid picture of the lifestyle of the aristocracy. I couldn't help comparing their lives to the poverty-stricken living in squalor, but that is for a different book. The book begins with the story of Queen Victoria's own childhood which it goes into in some detail. It shows how she developed from a shy and insular young girl to a matriarch of the first order. We are then taken through the early married life of the Queen and the Prince Consort and the birth of each of their nine children. There is a lot of fascinating detail in this book about the family life of the Queen. There are many anecdotes about the children, and although contact between parent and child was much less than we would have in a modern day family, it is plain that Victoria and Albert were loving and devoted parents who took a keen interest in the development of their children. As time progresses we are introduced to the Queen's grandchildren and great grandchildren. It is interesting to read of the contrast in the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra as parents, as unlike Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as you could wish. They were much more lively and fun loving and this really comes across as you read further.
There are some wonderful anecdotes about King Edward and his grandchildren. His geniality sparkles from the page. There seems to have been an about turn with George V who was a much more distant parent. It was interesting to read about all his children, as one usually hears most about the two brothers who later became King. If you like English or European history you will find this book fascinating. It gives a flavour of the time and is eminently readable without being too heavy, even when going into politics, and without being frothy.
It is fascinating to learn of the inter-personal relationships within this massive family descending from one remarkable lady. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt that the individuals almost leapt from the page. I understood far more about them and their role in England's future having read it. To make a history book riveting takes a particular talent and this author seems to have this in abundance. John Van der Kiste has a talent for getting right into a subject so that you can really imagine that you are there as an observer. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting!
Review: This book was so interesting! Enough has certainly been written about Queen Victoria that you'd think yet another biograpy of her and her family is not what the world needs: but this book is very much true to its title in concentrating on Victoria's childhood, that of her children, and that of her grand-children. People say that Childhood was invented in the Victorian period, and it is fascinating to see how an ultra-priveledged upbringing changed in the 100 years that this book covers. Even the changes that took place while Victoria's children were growing up is fascinating: the eldest daughter was married to a German prince at age 15, while her youngest daughter didn't marry until she was in her late 20's! I definately recomend this book to anyone who is interested in british royal history, or the history of childhood. Since Victoria's children married all over Europe, anyone who is interested in European history would also find this book well worth a read. Since it is not too long and not too dry, it would also be a good book for a teenager or young person who is ready for adult non-fiction, but wants something that they can relate to.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting!
Review: This book was so interesting! Enough has certainly been written about Queen Victoria that you'd think yet another biograpy of her and her family is not what the world needs: but this book is very much true to its title in concentrating on Victoria's childhood, that of her children, and that of her grand-children. People say that Childhood was invented in the Victorian period, and it is fascinating to see how an ultra-priveledged upbringing changed in the 100 years that this book covers. Even the changes that took place while Victoria's children were growing up is fascinating: the eldest daughter was married to a German prince at age 15, while her youngest daughter didn't marry until she was in her late 20's! I definately recomend this book to anyone who is interested in british royal history, or the history of childhood. Since Victoria's children married all over Europe, anyone who is interested in European history would also find this book well worth a read. Since it is not too long and not too dry, it would also be a good book for a teenager or young person who is ready for adult non-fiction, but wants something that they can relate to.
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